Secret Hearts
by PrayForFeeling
Summary: After Euphemia's encounter with Zero, she becomes confused and fearful and seeks the help and advice of Honorary Britannian Suzaku in a secret meeting late one night at the Ashford Academy. But it takes an unexpected turn.


Oh, Suzaku's poor heart. Just how much could it take?

Suzaku Kururugi was a young Japanese man who had seen and done way more than any person ever should in their entire life. But still, he kept going. In his mind, he had to. Even though he was hated by even his own people, and even though he was looked down upon by those he worked so hard for, he felt he had no choice but to continue to press forward and to fight for what he believed in. His motives were misunderstood by the majority and were often dismissed as naive or child-like. Anyone that took a second look, rare as they were, would more than likely see the deep emotional scars he wore that time would never heal.

Even though Princess Euphemia li Britannia was not aware of the details of Suzaku's past (rather, was not aware of anymore than anyone in the public was), she could somehow feel his pain. In those wide green eyes she saw something in him she'd never seen before, and she found herself drawn to him. And Suzaku could not get her out of his mind from the moment he first met her when she had simply introduced herself as "Euphie".

But even being an Honorary Britannian, he was still just an Eleven. And to the royal family, he just wasn't good enough to see her, despite the fact that he was the pilot of the famous and powerful white knightmare Lancelot, which had given Zero and his Black Knights a run for their money when no one else could. Still just an Eleven, no matter what he did. Not good enough for a Britannian Princess.

However, the fair princess could not get Suzaku out of her mind either. He wasn't just an Eleven to her, he was a strong man. Someone she wanted to be...closer to. She couldn't explain why her heart jumped at the sound of his name or at the sight of his face. She couldn't explain the strange feelings in her stomach or why she was drawn to him. She only knew that she was and no matter what, she just had to see him again. So while Suzaku was discouraged at the fact that he may never see her again he was unaware of the fact that Euphemia was determined to make it happen. And she did.

It was a quiet night at the Ashford Academy Campus. Everyone was asleep in their dorms for the night. Except for Suzaku. Earlier that day he'd gotten a note delivered to him by Lloyd that simply to him to be at the steps of the entrance for the academy at 10pm. He asked Lloyd who it was from, and Lloyd told him that he didn't know. Of course, Suzaku wasn't sure if he was serious or not. Maybe he knew and was covering it up, or maybe not. Who could tell? The only other thing Lloyd mentioned was that maybe he'd want to "dress to impress". This only baffled Suzaku more, which Lloyd probably expected. Odds were it amused him too. It would figure. He seemed to enjoy confusing Suzaku.

Who could it be that wanted to meet him here? Zero? Was he trying to convince Suzaku to join him again? Well if that was the case, his answer was still the same and would never change. That Zero....how dare he.

Suzaku's mind continued to consider this possibility as he sat on the steps, just where the note asked that he'd be. Despite Lloyd's advice (or whatever it was), he simply wore a casual outfit; a tan jacket with a brown shirt underneath and black pants. His green eyes looked brighter than normal in the night lights of the quiet campus as they looked back and forth for whoever might be showing up. He hoped it wasn't Zero...

He heard soft footsteps from behind him, coming from the academy's entrance, and he quickly turned around, still sitting on the steps. And there, walking towards him, illuminated by the campus's night lights was Princess Euphemia.

Startled and surprised, Suzaku quickly stood up. "Euphie!" He blurted. "I mean, Princess Euphemia!" He bowed as she stopped before him on the steps.

She smiled at him, at his bowed head. "Hello, Suzaku. Please stand."

He obeyed her and stood before her. She looked so beautiful. He couldn't help but notice how her fair skin was complimented by the pink and white dress that she wore. Her long hair seemed to frame her figure and he couldn't take his eyes off of her. Pay attention, Suzaku, he told himself. Don't be rude.

"What brings you here at this hour, my lady?" He asked her, because there was no way she had sent that note. No way.

"I'm glad you're here," she replied. "I was worried that you may not get my note."

"Your...your note?" Was this for real? "You sent that?"

She nodded. "I did. It was the only way I could call for this meeting without being noticed."

"How did you come here then, if you don't want anyone to notice you?"

Her eyes turned towards the campus, looking around. "You let me worry about that. But if you have some time, I'd love to speak with you again. Like before. I rather enjoyed myself then."

"You mean...when we met?"

"Yes." She looked at him again.

Why were his knees trembling? "Uh, sure, princess!" Why did she want to do this at night? He didn't know. Did it matter? He made a mental note to keep vigilant in case someone would try to come after her. And, well, he couldn't really say no, could he?

"Good!" She beamed. She took his hand. "Then please follow me!"

Before he could stop stuttering long enough for a reply, there he was once again being led by her to Lord Knows Where, in the campus. They entered one of the campus buildings, going down a hall. They were going so fast, was that really necessary? "Princess, where are we going?"

"Don't you recognize where you are?" She asked him, still hurriedly leading him down the halls.

Well, they were somewhere on campus. "Uhhh..." He looked around as they hurried along and noticed a sign on the wall: Welcome to the Girls' Dorms. He gasped. "Princess Euphemia, I don't think I should be-"

"Shh!" She exclaimed. "You'll wake someone!"

He started to sweat. Was she serious? Soon enough they stopped by one of the rooms and she pulled out a key from her dress and unlocked the door. "Please, enter!" she whispered to him. What was he to do? He entered the dorm room.

She entered after him and closed the door, locking it. She turned back to him, placing the key back in a pocket, and leaned with her back against the door. Upon seeing his startled, confused expression she frowned.

"I'm sorry," she said. "It's just that....this was the only way I could see you and I....I needed to talk to you. I'm sorry it had to be like this I know it seems rather....strange."

His heart fluttered. What was that feeling? "Ah, Princess, you had me worried. I-"

"Please call me Euphemia," She said. "Like when we first met."

"O-Okay," he replied. "Euphemia...Euphie. What's wrong?" She was very worried about something, he could see that much. It tugged at his heartstrings, just like it did every time she frowned or looked sad. Why did that happen?

She motioned to a table with two cushioned chairs. "Please sit."

"Sure," he replied. He moved to one of the seats and sat. Was this really her dorm? He looked around. It was one of the nicer dorms in the academy, that much was for certain. It must have been the one she'd gotten upon going to the school to observe. Euphemia sat at the seat across from him and he directed his undivided attention back to her. It wasn't fair to be inspecting her room with his eyes when she clearly brought him here because she was distressed. It was rude.

"Suzaku. I don't know how to say this but...but I..." She started. She couldn't seem to finish. She couldn't even look him in the eye now. What was going on?

"What is it?" He pressed. "What's wrong?"

"It's Zero."

It figured. Zero. "What about him? He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"No," she quickly replied. "He didn't. I...don't think he wants to."

Suzaku cocked an eyebrow. That didn't make any sense to him. Zero had killed Prince Clovis, so he was obviously out for the blood of the royal family. Why wouldn't he go after Euphemia as well?

"My Sis- The Viceroy said that she was going to let Zero and the Black Knights roam free for a while because they saved my life. I don't know what to think. I'm so confused. I don't know who else to talk to about this and I'm not even supposed to meet you like this, it's just that I don't know what to do."

She was confiding in him, he realized. Did she really have no one else to talk to? Did she really trust him that much and think that much of him? He didn't know what to do either but he was determined to try something. Anything...

"Play it safe," he said to her. "You meeting me like this and putting yourself out in the open makes you a target." He cringed inside when he'd said that. "You should stick with your royal guards. It's not safe for you to be out in the open, my lady."

She sighed. "I suppose not but...I..."

"But what?"

"...had to see you again, Suzaku."

"...Euphie..." His voice came out soft. Gentle. Brushing her ears like a light breeze. That was the voice of the man she was drawn to, the voice that made her feel like everything was going to be okay. Recently, it was the only thing that made her feel safe at all.

She looked down at the floor. "Perhaps I'm being foolish."

He got up and walked to her, standing close to her. He put two fingers under her chin and gently brought her head up to look at him. Then he knelt next to her to be at eye level with her. "It's not foolish. I just want you to stay safe. Your safety is very important to me."

She blinked at him, her eyes strangely wide. Suzaku couldn't quite read her expression, whether it be fear, gratefulness, or something else. But there was a change in her eyes when he'd spoken that last statement. And the more he looked right back at her, right back into her eyes again, the more emotion her eyes seem to hold.

"Are you okay?" he asked, tilting his head.

She suddenly threw herself onto him, throwing her arms around him, her head into his shoulders. "I'm so...so grateful. Thank you, Suzaku."

He froze for a second, startled. After a moment it finally clicked to him to embrace her back. "Y-you're welcome. What did I say?"

"It's so nice to hear you say that and mean it." She drew back, looking at him again. She was so beautiful. Those eyes, her fair expression, staring at him so...like no one else ever looked at him before.

Every time she looked at him, he could practically feel another wall, another barrier, breaking. At first it scared him, but the more it happened the more...the more inclined he was to give in.

Somehow, impulse took control and without thought, he was slowly but suddenly leaning in towards her. She didn't move. He placed a hand on her cheek and gently placed his lips onto hers. She tasted so sweet.

Euphemia shook, startled by his sudden forwardness. And when Suzaku felt her shake, he quickly opened his eyes and drew back. He wore a shocked expression, looking at her as if in horror.

"Oh, oh, no. Euphie, I-I'm sorry, I don't-"

"Please don't speak," she said, looking at the floor. Or more specifically, his bent knees since he was still knelt. Was he shaking? There was something different about the way her voice sounded. Something close to fear but not quite the same. "Don't...don't speak."

He remained there, frozen, afraid to move at all again.

She must have realized her hands were shaking, because she clenched them into fists. Suzaku noticed, and it only put fear and horror into him. He hated himself. He really did. Why did he have to be so stupid?

"Su-Suzaku." She started. Finally she got the courage to look at him again. Her cheeks were pink. Her expression carried a grief of some sort, but he didn't understand why. Shouldn't she be angry? Was she angry? What was going to happen now? Would she tell anyone? Have him arrested? Oh, God. He had hurt her, hadn't he?

"Don't be afraid," she said. It sounded strange coming from the face that said it. "You wanted that, yes?"

"I...I didn't mean to make a fool of you, Euphie, I don't know what came over me, please forgive me, I-"

"But did you want that?"

He stopped stuttering and faltered a little. He bowed his head. "Yes. I'm deeply sorry. I hope you can forgive me."

"I thought you might feel that way about me," she confessed. "But I....that wasn't....I didn't know what to do even though..."

He didn't say anything else, just continued staring at the floor, waiting for her to finish. It felt like he was waiting forever. His heart was in a cold, tight grip that threatened his breathing.

"...Even though I feel the same about you as you do me."

He suddenly looked at her again. Was she serious? His heart jumped about a mile high. Her face was unreadable to him. "Euphie?"

"It's true," she confessed. "I've felt this way since I first saw you."

"You...you did?" He shook his head, as if waking up from a dream. "No, it wasn't right of me to take advantage of you like that! It wasn't right!"

"Suzaku," she said in a calming voice. "Kiss me again please."

His heart, which had been beating so very quickly, suddenly stopped. This couldn't be real. He had to be dreaming. And again, he couldn't say no to her. "As you wish, my princess." He leaned in again, placing his lips on hers gently for a second time. But this time, she didn't shake in surprise, instead kissed him back. Overcome with emotion, he withdrew, his head hanging as if he was tired. "Euphemia..."

"Suzaku..."

The moment he looked at her again, when she spoke his name, she leaned in this time and kissed him. It was a good thing he was kneeling on the floor because his knees would have buckled then. She put her arms around him, and he put his arms around her in response. She opened her mouth for him as they kissed, and on sheer impulse at this point he opened his as well and kissed her longer, taking in every moment that he could taste her like this. It made him crave more, more of her sweet taste, more of her soft and gentle touch...more of her.

Suzaku withdrew but was just a breath away from her lips when he whispered to her, "I love you." There was no question about it. He knew it now, being with her like this. He could feel it with all of his being and it was boiling up inside him until he had no choice but to blurt it out to her, to tell her. It was spoken with more feeling than he ever knew could be put into three small words. Now he knew why his heart always fluttered, now he knew why he felt drawn to her. Now he knew why.

"I love you," she echoed, whispering back to him, onto his lips. It sounded just the same as his words, and when he heard her speak them he felt a fulfillment inside he'd never fathomed before. The fulfillment of being loved by someone who you loved as well.

This was what it all came down to. This was what he had been searching for his whole life, someone who loved him so passionately for all of him, including his flaws and seemingly infinite scars. He never wanted this moment to end.

He pulled her close to him, held her tight, as if afraid she'd escape. "I don't ever want to leave your side, Euphie."

"If only you knew what it means for me to hear you say that, Suzaku," she replied, holding him tightly back. "I've been searching for you for so long and I didn't even realize it."

He looked at her eyes again. "I'll always be here for you."

And with that, he kissed her once again. Time and the outside world became lost to them, but with their newfound fulfillment, who needed such frivolous things?


End file.
